Maharashtra Cancels Aadhaar-Based Birth Certificates, Orders Strict Scrutiny
Mumbai, November 29, 2025: The Maharashtra government has cancelled all birth certificates that were issued solely on the basis of an Aadhaar card after the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act, 2023. The Revenue Department has circulated strict verification guidelines to prevent misuse of fake documents and has ordered officials to recheck all delayed birth registrations across the state.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has directed immediate cancellation of all suspicious certificates. He has also asked for disciplinary action against officials who approved delayed registrations without proper supporting documents.
According to the new 16-point verification guideline, any order issued by Deputy Tehsildars after the amendment of August 11, 2023, must be withdrawn. These withdrawn orders will now be reviewed by the competent authority or the District Collector.
The state has also asked all departments to act quickly on pending applications. Offices have been told to verify cases as per Public Health Department rules. Any application that does not meet the SOP must be cancelled, and its entry on the Civil Registration System (CRS) portal should be removed.
The guidelines clearly state that an Aadhaar card cannot be considered valid evidence for delayed birth registration. If the Aadhaar number and the date of birth do not match during verification, officials must file a police complaint.
The notice has red-flagged 14 regions with a high number of unauthorised cases. These include Amravati, Sillod, Akola, Sambhajinagar City, Latur, Anjangaon Surji, Achalpur, Pusad, Parbhani, Beed, Gevrai, Jalna, Ardhapur and Parli. Tehsildars and local police have been instructed to investigate these cases thoroughly.
Municipalities and Nagar Palikas have been told to reconcile delayed birth records issued after Tehsildar orders. It has been found that some offices issued certificates without any supporting documents such as school records or proof of place of birth. The government has declared such orders “erroneous” and asked Executive Magistrates and Tehsildars to review them.
Officials have been directed to prepare a list of discrepancies and hand it over to the police. Cases of mismatched dates or forged documents must be reported immediately. If an original cancelled certificate is not returned by the applicant, local police may be involved to retrieve it.
The government has also asked Divisional Commissioners to hold a one-day joint meeting with District Collectors, Tehsildars, municipal bodies and police officials to coordinate the enforcement of these new rules.
